1 Sep 2014

I love shooting peonies... With this one I tried a light-painting technique but I am not 100% satisfied with the result. I think my floor is too flexible and it bounces when I move around to light the subject, hence the not perfectly sharp result sigh What do you think?

27 Aug 2014

Florence cathedral is simply huge! Its exterior is filled with wonderfully decorated details that speak of the Renaissance time when it finally got a properroof but not yet a full facade. This is a detail from one of the side portals.

22 Aug 2014

The beautiful island of SIcily is full of architectural wonders, many of which were built during the Baroque period. Here we are in Siracusa, right on the corner of the cathedral square; on your left is the church that houses a famous Caravaggio's masterpiece.

21 Aug 2014

Sometimes it is just when you least expect that inspiration strucks. I was on my way to the train station, full with luggage and stress, when I glanced at this scene by one of the side wings of the Louvre palace. It took just a few minutes to fish out my camera and shoot the frame before the scene was full of people. Just the right moment...

20 Aug 2014

When in the right season and with the right weather condition, enjoying a sunset by the Ponte Vecchio is one of charming experience that will make your trip to Florence even more memorable (with or without crane).

10 Jul 2014

The church of Santa Croce in Florence is mainly famous for the tombs of famous people buried there. The tomb of Dante Alighieri is though another story, since the one in Florence is a mere empty mausoleum as he is actually buried in Ravenna.

6 Jul 2014

It's Sunday and that means church time (to some) ;) I like to celebrate by sharing with you one of my latest shots on Florence magnificent cathedral's dome. Did you know that Leonardo da Vinci might have been involved in casting the giant gilded bronze sphere on the lantern?

4 Jul 2014

When they say that the town os SIracusa in SIcily is full of baroque masterpieces, they sure don't lie... As an added surprise. inside this church you can also find a magnificent Caravaggio painting. Who wants to come for visit?

21 Jun 2014

During my travels, I am always attracted by these examples of masterful craftmanship of our ancestors. I bet it would be almost impossible to achieve the same height nowadays given the same constraints.

18 Jun 2014

I just love peonies! Last weekend we celebrated the Pentecost and, as it is traditional in Germany, we were swimming in peonies (the are called Pentecost-roses for a reason) :D This is what I came up with one of them, more to come soon...

6 Jun 2014

In some of the most ancient cathedral around Tuscany, you will find a porch like this one. I simply love the religiour architecture of Lucca and Pisa, they seemed to love stucking statue heads allover their churches eheh

5 Jun 2014

The church of St. Nizier in Lyon is indeed a big surprise. You can spot it very easily on Lyon skyline, with its characteristic conical bell towers, and it definitely deserves a visit. A masterpiece of flamboyant Gothic style, its entrance is a clear example of Renaissance architecture.

29 May 2014

A heavenly mix of blood orange juice, ouzo & rum with the spicy touch of jalapeno and the brininess of green olives. It is simply perfect garnished with a little cilantro... What a treat! Get the recipe here: http://ift.tt/1hBmb5o

28 May 2014

When the weather is fair and the air still warm from the late summer breezes, it is the perfect time to have a night stroll around Florence. The traffic has quiet down, all is calm... Even the Arno river looks like made of glass.

27 May 2014

I have never approached Dante's monument from this angle before, until my last trip to Florence. I was surprised to see how all his defiance and stern gaze gave foot to a more subtle and melancholic demeanor. Even the eagle seems somewhat sad. Knowledge will make you free but perhaps, a little lonely too.

23 May 2014

Last autumn I had a great trip in my old home town of Florence. This time the aim was to capture it with my camera and I am still editing those fiules.... When it comes to the Duomo and its famous cupola, it is hard to create something new so I dared a little in this picture of mine. I hope will like it.

21 May 2014

We all know how well dark chocolate goes with pork, right? For this reason, when I was developing my "Cooking with Chocolate" class, I decided to feature a pork stew as the meat-course of the evening. To have the best end result, I needed a cut of pork that would stay moist during braising and that didn't require that long to cook (time limitations are unfortunately paramount in hands-on cooking classes). I resorted then to my favorite cut: pork shoulder. I really love its balance of fatty richness and lean tender meat. I usually find it in the form of steaks and oftentimes, I simply love to pan sear them and then smother in strong extra virgin olive oil and zingy lemon juice or better even, lemon salt. A treat for those nights when I am too bored to cook anything more involved.
In the recipe I developed for the cooking class, I decided to use the earthy aroma of roasted cumin as the spice of choice to lace this stew. I chose peas to be the vegetable component since I wanted a little more sweetness in the final dish, beside they pair greatly with cumin.
The dish needed a little vibrancy though and so, to keep it simple but still flavorful, I decided to add some arugula to it. I really like the peppery and slight bitter notes of this leafy green, it really cuts through the richness of the stew.

Dark chocolate is a great ingredient for savory dishes and I really had fun coming up with recipes featuring it like the one I am proposing you today.

18 May 2014

For my upcoming cooking class I wanted to create a recipe that would highlight the sweet richness of Paccheri pasta. As it is often the case, simple is best, when you have such great pasta to start with.